


all the subliminal things (i’m a sucker for you)

by ShatterinSeconds



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Pop Star AU, Secret Relationship, Social Media, rival pop star au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-22
Updated: 2019-03-22
Packaged: 2019-11-28 02:12:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,426
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18202115
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShatterinSeconds/pseuds/ShatterinSeconds
Summary: “People are gonna question why you’re there,” Lance says with a laugh as he reaches up to fix Keith’s tie.Keith bats away Lance’s fussing hands when Lance begins to smooth out the wrinkles in his shirt. “I’ll say I’m just scouting out my competition.” His nose scrunches in a sudden thought of unpleasantness. “That’s what the press always believes anyways.”There’s a sigh on Lance’s lips, but he manages to hold it in. “Sometimes I wish we decided to date publicly this whole time.”(or, a “rival” pop star au where Keith and Lance are secretly dating)





	all the subliminal things (i’m a sucker for you)

**Author's Note:**

> This is a self indulgent pop star au I wanted to write based on the new Jonas Brothers song--which is surprisingly good and 100% Klance. 
> 
> Lyrics used as well as the title of the fic are from "Sucker" by the Jonas Brothers.
> 
> Brief notes:   
> -they’re both in their early twenties  
> -Lance is definitely the more famous of the two; he’s even starred in a pretty successful movie  
> -Keith is a Panic! at the Disco, Fall Out Boy, Bastille mix. Whereas Lance is more of a Charlie Puth/Troye Sivan mix with the popularity of Taylor Swift and Ariana Grande

 

They’re not dating, well yeah, actually they are--though only Keith and Lance know this. Their fans still see them as bitter rivals, always fighting for the Grammy or the number one spot on the billboard chart or the best selling album of the year. It’s a cycle though; one year Keith will be reigning champ and then Lance will take his crown the next.

It’s actually kind of fun; they’re even keeping score on a small white board hanging on the side of their refrigerator with a few tally marks under each name and silly doodles. But no matter who “wins” that year, they eagerly support each other. 

_ Bitter enemies indeed _ , Keith thinks, amused, as he stares at his phone, scrolling through all the comments on his newly released single. Fans always argue in the comments about who’s the better singer, and he finds himself rolling his eyes because obviously Lance should win the argument. Yeah, he has to abandon his own fans on that debate. 

“Hey, babe,” Lance says as he walks out of the bathroom, towel hanging low on his hips and chest glistening with drops of water. His hair has been pushed out of his face, though it already begins to curl as it dries, falling back onto his forehead.  

Lifting his head, Keith notices the phone in his boyfriend’s hand and now he has to roll his eyes at Lance; of course he would take selfies after showering. Unlike Keith’s Instagram account that only has four pictures of him along with mostly previews of upcoming songs, Lance’s fans are blessed--well, maybe not completely blessed; they don’t get to come home to Lance every day.

“Do you have stuff to do today?”

Placing his phone on the couch, Keith stands, walking towards his boyfriend. “I don’t.”

Lance smiles when Keith is only an inch in front of him and leans down as if he’s going to kiss Keith but he doesn’t. “Want to go out?”

“Will we have to wear those stupid disguises?” Keith asks, hands traveling to Lance’s hips, gripping the towel. When they do want to have dates in public, instead of just remaining in their apartment, they have these god-awful wigs that do a decent job of hiding their appearance. Lance’s wig is a sandy blond, and for a man who can pull off absolutely every fashion style, blond is not a good look on him. Not that Keith’s short, light brown wig looks any better on himself.

“Unfortunately,” Lance grumbles. Some day they’re going to have a party just to burn those wigs. “But I want to treat you to something nice. For releasing your new single and everything.”

“I should be the one treating you; your album’s about to drop.”

Lance bops him on the nose to end the argument. His blue eyes gleam in the sunlight. “Ahah, this date is all about you.”

So yeah, dating. They’re dating, and Keith couldn’t be happier. 

But their fans are getting suspicious.

* * *

 

**Lance Stan @truelancefan**

when @thenameslance took that selfie, was that an extra hairbrush i saw and another toothbrush???? @keithkogane???

_ [an image of a shirtless Lance having just gotten out of the shower with his back facing the mirror, flashing a smile and a peace sign as he takes a selfie. Seen on the counter in the mirror is a hairbrush with black hair and two toothbrushes in a cup, one blue and the other red] _

 

**@imontheedge** replying to **@truelancefan**

holy shit ur right!!!!

* * *

 

Their relationship began as a one night stand over a year ago at some event that Keith has long forgotten the name of. He had woken up that morning, surprised at feeling his breath catch in his throat as he stared at the sunlight dancing across Lance’s brown skin, highlighting the light freckles on the bridge of his nose and cheekbones. But Lance was the one who asked the important question of dating when his blue eyes fluttered open and stared at Keith with just as much awe. Mumbling a brief ‘yes,’ Keith dove in for a kiss.

They purchased an apartment together four months after that. Moving in with each other was definitely an impulsive step, but it was the right one after they realized 1) this relationship was going to be so much more than a casual fling, and 2) it was a fucking pain having to sneak around to see each other.  

“What are you staring at?” Lance asks, playing with the straw of his smoothie. They sit in a 50s retro diner Lance had been dying to try for weeks. The bench is sticky with grease under Keith’s ass but it’s fun. The decor of the checkered floor and red accents, Lance’s smile, the people all around them who don’t realize there are famous singers in their midst. Empty plates sit in front of them while a basket of fries--though there are only about two left--has been placed between them.

“You,” Keith replies without pause. “You’re too beautiful. It’s distracting.”

A bright red blush stains Lance’s skin as he ducks his head, hiding under the shaggy blond bangs of his wig. “You’re too smooth for me. My heart can’t take it.”

“It makes me proud when I can beat the great Lance McClain at his own game.” Keith takes one of the last fries in the basket. A bit of salt and grease coat his fingers, and he can’t help the need to bop Lance on the nose. His boyfriend’s nose scrunches in protest as he quickly reaches for a napkin. 

“I spent three hours taking care of my skin this morning for you. Don’t ruin it,” Lance playfully growls, scrubbing his nose free of grease. The crumpled napkin lands in front of him with a thwump. 

Keith stares at Lance again, chin resting in the palm of his hand. “You spent twenty minutes on it before I kicked you out of the bathroom.”

“I know,” Lance responds with a teasing frown, “Honestly, Keith, I think we’re at that point in our relationship where you can pee while I’m still in the bathroom. We shower together some days; there’s no difference.”

“I like to pee in private, thank you very much.” Keith’s lips twitch in slight displeasure.

Lance snickers as he leans closer to Keith. “You’re weird; I’m dating a weirdo.”

“You’re the one who brought up peeing on a date.”

Flicking a brown lock of Keith’s wig out of his eyes, Lance replies with, “Lies, Keith. Complete blaspheme.”

Catching on to his hand, Keith feels compelled to kiss the ridiculous man in front of him, so he does.

* * *

 

**Lance Stan @truelancefan**

Some quick facts for you all: 1) lance has not been publicly seen on an actual date in a year. 2) neither has keith. 3) you’re telling me that the two most eligible guys in hollywood can’t find a SO?? yeah, that’s complete bullshit 

I could just keep going if I wanted to but I think my point has been made for now

* * *

 

“People are gonna question why you’re there,” Lance says with a laugh as he reaches up to fix Keith’s tie.

It’s a Friday night, and instead of staying in bed to cuddle and watch TV--as Keith would prefer to do--he finds his body constricted by formal wear. Lance’s new album drops at midnight tonight so of course the label had scheduled a release party. A few lucky fans even got invited if they had sent in an entry text at the right time. 

Keith bats away Lance’s fussing hands when Lance begins to smooth out the wrinkles in his shirt. “I’ll say I’m just scouting out my competition.” His nose scrunches in a sudden thought of unpleasantness. “That’s what the press always believes anyways.”

Lance walks behind Keith with a small grunt in agreement, and suddenly Keith’s bangs are pulled away from his face. He stands there quietly as Lance french braids his hair into a somewhat presentable manner. Gentle tugs have Keith’s head twitching back slightly but otherwise Lance’s fluid movements are welcomed. With a tap on his shoulder, Keith wordlessly hands Lance a hair tie from his wrist. His braided hair lands against the back of his neck as his boyfriend deems his work complete with a kiss on Keith’s skin.

Turning when Lance speaks again, Keith notices a downcast expression in his eyes, a stormy ocean residing in his irises. His boyfriend, sporting a blue blazer that pops against his dark dress shirt, fiddles with one of the buttons. A frown sits on Keith’s lips as he listens to Lance. “Sometimes I wish we decided to date publicly this whole time.”

_ Me too,  _ Keith wants to say but decides to lighten the mood instead. “Well we all know what the reporters would ask.” Keith clears his throat, deepening it for comedic effect when he speaks again. “Mr. McClain, did Mr. Kogane  _ turn  _ you gay?”

Lance quietly chuckles before schooling his features to play the game. “News flash, Harold, I’ve been openly bisexual this whole time.” He ends with a sprinkling of jazz hands that has Keith cracking too large of a smile to be healthy. Laughter rolls off his tongue as Lance follows him.

“I hate Hollywood,” Keith says eventually. His head falls onto Lance’s shoulders, wrapping his arms tight around his boyfriend’s body and breathing in his scent. Lance had put on a dash of that cologne Keith is always obsessed with, and he has to stop himself from peppering Lance’s skin in kisses because if he starts, he will never stop. “Why did we ever decide to play their game?”

“Because we’re both ridiculously good singers. And if I didn’t choose this career, I would have never met you.”

“Yeah.” Keith softly smiles and lifts his head. “That’s a bonus.”

A cheeky grin sits on Lance’s lips. “A  _ big  _ bonus.” 

“Someone thinks very highly of himself.”

“One of my many good qualities.”

Keith unabashedly stares at Lance, and in a split second decision, he reaches his hand out to ruffle Lance’s hair from the way he had styled it. The gel Lance had originally used is sticky, painting the tips of his fingers, but finally Lance’s hair falls naturally into place again, just the way Keith likes it--him. Lance in his natural form.

“Hey,” Lance grumbles, tentatively touching his mussed hair.  

Shrugging unapologetically, Keith replies, “You look better like that.”

“Allura’s going to kill me if I show up like this.” Allura, other wise known to Keith as Lance’s very scary agent, hates it when Lance shows up looking “normal” to big events like tonight’s. Keith does understand that, both he and Lance have reputations to uphold, but Lance looks so goddamn gorgeous with naturally styled hair.  

Running his hands through Lance’s hair once again, continuing to fluff it even more, Keith’s lips curl into a smirk. “Then she’s going to have to go through me.”

His boyfriend’s mouth opens to respond only to abruptly close it for a minute as a subtle frown sets on Lance’s face when his eyes catch onto something behind Keith. “Ugh,” he growls, staring at the clock on the nightstand, “It’s time to go. You have a party to crash after all.”

Keith sends an unamused glance Lance’s way. “Ah yes, because someone forgot to get me an invite.”

“I was busy!” he protests with a laugh. The frown disappears, much to Keith’s pleasure.

“You were lazy!” Keith pushes Lance out the door with a grin on his face. He follows a few minutes later.

* * *

 

**Lance Stan @truelancefan**

in this thread, i’ll give my top five reasons why @keithkogane and @thenameslance are dating, all from this release party alone

  1. they stand near each other the entire night
  2. lance doesn’t flirt with anyone--honestly the biggest sign here
  3. umm is it me or is that keith’s hand on lance’s back????



_ [an image of Keith and Lance standing close together, and though blurry, Keith’s hand is behind Lance’s back] _

  1. they literally both disappear for like 5-10 mins and come back with disheveled hair
  2. THE FACT THAT KEITH KOGANE, LEGIT RIVAL TO LANCE, IS THERE AT ALL!!!!!



 

**@memyselfandi** replying to @ **truelancefan**

idk man but i think you’re reading into it too much. leave them alone

* * *

 

 

Away from the webcam on the computer, Keith’s fingers drum against his thigh as he answers countless questions from fans. Once in a while, Keith will have virtual meet and greets with fans via Skype. Shiro, his agent, is always present as the moderator to keep the questions moving so one fan doesn’t hog all of the allotted time--it has happened before. Ten or so of his fans take up the top of his screen, the person in the forefront switching depending on who’s turn it is to ask a question. 

Keith runs a hand through his long hair as a new face takes up the screen.

“So,” one of his fans begins nervously, wringing their hands. They wear a t-shirt with one of his earlier album covers on it, and a gay pride flag hangs in the background behind them--Keith can’t help but smile at that. As one of the only openly gay singers, he knows how much he means to the community, and he’s happy to step into that role. “I--I was wondering if you were dating anyone, ‘cause there have been rumors tha--”

“Ah, nope, those are definitely  _ just  _ rumors. I am one hundred percent single right now and couldn’t be happier. Me and Lance are really just, uh, frenemies, yeah. We’re just frenemies. Acquaintances.”  _ Oh God, why is he still rambling?  _ Keith hopes he hasn’t started blushing. 

“Lance?” the fan pipes up, “Oh, I wasn’t talking about Lance McClain.”

_ Well shit.  _ Keith visibly grimaces before quickly schooling his features. Shiro was supposed to have screened these questions first; clearly this fan had changed theirs at the last minute. Or maybe Shiro thought Keith would’ve been professional about answering it… but that’s definitely stretching it.

He’s about to ask the fan exactly what rumors they have heard--because those are  _ definitely  _ not true, and if it’s the Lotor rumor again, he really would not like to gag in front of his fans--but then a new complication arrives. 

“I’m homeeee~” Lance sings as he walks through the door, oblivious to Keith’s Skype call. Shopping bags swing from his arms, compiled from a few clothing stores; even a bag from GameStop has found its way onto Lance’s arms. Hopefully there are some groceries in that mess too because they desperately need milk and it was Lance’s turn to buy it. 

It takes a moment for the scene to fully sink in when Lance suddenly stops, eyes flickering to the computer, staying just out of the camera’s range. 

Keith watches his fans’ eyes start to widen--as well as Shiro’s raised eyebrow, though he already knows about their relationship. Before Keith hits mute to get Lance the fuck out of here, he quickly says, “Uh, my maid’s here. Be right back.”

The headphones fall from his ears as he rushes to push Lance further into the kitchen and away from the living room. “ _ Lance _ ,” Keith hisses even though his computer is muted.

His boyfriend grimaces, and with the bags having fallen to the floor, Lance hastily cards a hand through his hair. “Ah, sorry about that. Your Skype chat completely slipped my mind.”

Keith sighs as he wraps his boyfriend in a hug. “It’s okay. I’m glad you’re back.”

Lance hums, content. “Me too.” He places a quick kiss on Keith’s cheek. He just wants to stay in Lance’s embrace for eternity; maybe the Skype chat will magically disappear.

“Can I ask why you bought something at GameStop?” Keith eventually asks as he peeks past Lance’s shoulder to the mess of bags by his feet and on the island.  

Pulling back an inch, Lance’s entire face brightens. “I picked up this fantastic two player game that we have to play later!” A hyper smile appears on Lance’s lips, body practically bouncing with the excitement of having something new to pass the time with. That happiness is contagious; Keith just loves this man so much.

Gabbing the back of Lance’s head to pull him forward, Keith kisses him, teeth nipping slightly  on Lance’s bottom lip. “I’m excited to try it,” he says, out of breath and with swollen lips.

“Goddamn you’re perfect,” Lance whispers. His hands tangle into Keith’s hair, the inky black strands falling across his brown skin. Though he seems to want to lean in again to kiss Keith, Lance eventually steps away from him and picks up all the bags. “And I’ll get out of the way now.”

Keith nods and pecks Lance on the lips as a subtle apology. He’s sad to see his boyfriend leave and slowly ventures back to the computer, his heart suddenly no longer in it.

 

When Keith logs out of Skype after finishing up, he searches the apartment for Lance, feeling very lonely and very socially drained from talking to strangers. As he wanders by their bedroom, he hears the rush of the shower and follows the sound. Soft lyrics in Spanish float from the bathroom as Lance sings in the shower, just loud enough for his voice not to be drowned out by the water. Keith hums along the best he can, the pitch slightly beyond his comfortable level.

He opens the door and steam billows around him, already fogging up the mirror. Usually his boyfriend showers with cold water--god only knows why--but there are days that Keith knows Lance will switch his routine for a purpose. A silent invitation of sorts. Keith’s clothes drop to the floor.

“Hey, you,” Lance says with a smile as Keith pulls back the curtain to join him. He’s quickly embraced in a warm, wet hug when Lance drags him under the water. A deep kiss waits for him there.

* * *

 

**Lance Stan @truelancefan**

did you see @keithkogane’s face when i said i wasn’t talking about Lance??? That man is not smooth at hiding things at all. also “maid” my ass

 

**@lavendarroses** replying to  **@truelancefan**

I have listened to every single one of @thenameslance’s songs and interviews and insta stories… that was 100% his voice

* * *

 

“Congrats, Lance!” Keith says over dinner that night. It had been announced earlier in the day that Lance would be traveling on a huge national and international tour because of his new album. Keith even heard that some places already sold out, and tickets have only been on sale for a few hours. What surprises him though is Lance’s grim expression, lips breaching on a frown, and eyes dark. “That’s... not good news?” Keith asks cautiously, setting down his fork to direct his full attention on his boyfriend.

“I’ll be gone for like half a year.”

“And?” Keith questions with a raised eyebrow, still not understanding.

Lance’s lips finally dip into a frown. “I’ll be gone six months from  _ you _ .”

“Lance,” Keith replies softly, “You know I wouldn’t want you to hold yourself back because of me. We promised each other when we started dating.”

“I know. It’s just… I’ll miss you and Skype chats aren’t going to cut it.”

Reaching across the table, Keith grabs onto Lance’s hands. “I’ll miss you so much too.”

“ _ Keith. _ ” His head rests on the table and his fingers curl tighter into Keith’s grip. “I really do want to go, but I really don’t want to leave you behind.”  __

Silence between them lingers for a moment. Keith simply stares at Lance, well stares at the top and back of his head, as Lance continues to groan into the table. “I think we’re missing an obvious solution,” he finally says after a moment, “I could come with you, if you’ll have me.”

Immediately, Lance’s head lifts from the table. “Really?” His eyes sparkle before dimming with remembered knowledge. “But weren’t you supposed to be recording some new songs or music videos and--”

“The label has a few new songs in the queue that they can release to keep the hype up.” Lance opens his mouth to protest, but Keith soldiers on, because he  _ wants  _ to go so much now that the option has been presented. Traveling the world with Lance is too good to pass up. “And traveling will help me with a direction for my next album, that Shiro has been hounding me about. I could probably set up some meet and greets with fans too. I can spin it, don’t worry.”

Finding no argument in that logic, Lance snaps his mouth closed, and Keith is pleased, eyes glimmering as he begins to mentally pack his suitcase. Then, with no warning, Lance picks him up and spins him around their kitchen. Warm hands on his cold skin, his hair berating his face as they fly around the room. “I frickin’ love you.”

It doesn’t register to either of them that it is the first time using  _ those  _ words aloud--and not softly while the other one is sleeping, oblivious to what’s being said--but either way Keith’s reply is instantaneous. “I love you so much too.”

“Wha--wait, oh my God, you love me?” Lance asks, having stopped spinning the moment it finally hit him. His mouth drops open in shock, but happiness, and maybe a bit of disbelief, tugs at his lips.

Keith wraps his arms around Lance’s neck as he gazes at him. “Yeah, Lance, I do.”

“You know, I really thought this confession would have happened while spooning me after sex, but this is somehow better.”

Keith laughs at that, caught up in Lance’s ridiculousness. He leans in and kisses a surprised Lance on the lips, hands weaving into his short brown hair and legs wrapping tightly around his waist. With his hands traveling down to support Keith’s thighs, Lance gracefully sighs into the kiss, melting entirely into Keith, if that is at all possible. 

“Hm, maybe your next album can be all about me,” Lance jokes when they break for air an eternity later.

With glossy lips and lidded eyes, Keith replies, “Maybe it will be.”

* * *

 

**Lance Stan @truelancefan**

coincidence or not that @keithkogane announced taking a quick “break” just when @thenameslance announced his international tour

* * *

 

“I don’t want to keep hiding you in the shadows during this tour,” Lance comments a few days before his first concert in LA. They lie on the couch, Keith leaning into Lance who strokes a hand through his long hair. Occasionally Lance will stop the rhythmic movements to twirl a lock between his fingers or untangle a knot. Keith had almost fallen asleep.

Forcing his eyes to open, Keith eventually musters the energy to respond. “I don’t mind.”

The silence that follows forces Keith to sit up, Lance’s hand falling from Keith’s hair and onto his own lap. Keith grabs a hold of it though, fingers lacing with his. Still not comfortable with the idea of keeping Keith hidden, Lance gnaws at his lip. “If we were to tell them, all of them, would that be okay?”

His eyes are piercing, serious and dark, and Keith allows himself a moment to reply.

“Honestly?” Lance nods. “I like having you to myself. I like that we’re private. We’ve done a good job hiding from the paparazzi, less so from our fans, but we could probably keep it up. But I also hate that I can’t kiss you in public or hold your hand or can’t support you without someone saying I’m just spying on the competition or somehow being a sore loser. So I wouldn’t mind if you wanted to tell the world.”

Light floods back into Lance’s blue eyes, a quiet smile appearing on his lips. His hands rise to cup Keith’s face, and his thumbs stroke Keith’s cheeks. “Thank you,” Lance says almost as a whisper; the words dance in the air between their lips. 

“How are we gonna tell them?” Keith asks just as quietly. He doesn’t want to shatter the sudden tranquility that’s surrounded them. It doesn’t matter though since it disappears the minute a devious smirk crawls onto Lance’s face. 

“I have the  _ best  _ idea.”

 

Keith waits in the wings where he can both see and hear Lance as clearly as if he were in the front row. A small smile slips onto his face when Lance ends what’s supposed to be his final number. The roars are deafening. Even from here, Keith can see that Lance’s chest heaves from the exertion of all those songs and dance moves he worked through. His hair is practically a ball of frizz from the heat of the lights. But there’s still a blinding smile on Lance’s face, and he sends a wink to Keith waiting in the shadows before speaking to the crowd.

“I have a surprise for you tonight,” Lance says, having to pause when the screams begin before they settle down, “I’ve been working on a new song and wanted you to hear it. That alright?”

Cries of “yes please” and “fuck yeah” fill the air, and Lance’s grin almost stretches too wide for his face to handle. Keith’s own cheeks are starting to ache with his own smile, and his stomach twists in the best way when Lance nods to the band to start. The notes capture everyone’s attention.

And Lance begins to sing something that he and Keith have been working on ever since they started seriously dating. _ “ _ _ We go together. Better than birds of a feather, you and me.”  _

The first two verses fly by, the crowd eating up the new beat, and suddenly Keith finds that it’s his cue already.  He steps out of the shadows, his voice in tandem with Lance’s. Their combined melodies weave together to create something beautiful.  _ “ _ _ I'm a sucker for you. You say the word and I'll go anywhere blindly.”  _ He walks closer to Lance, dancing each step he takes, and when Keith is close enough to smell his boyfriend’s coconut shampoo and sweat, he places a hand on Lance’s hip. They can finally dance as one.

_ “I'm a sucker for all the subliminal things no one knows about you (about you) about you (about you).”   _ Their gazes do not leave each other for the rest of the song.

Somehow the crowd reaches a volume almost untouchable to human ears.

* * *

 

**Klance Stan @truelancefan**

i fucking knew it

_ [an image of Keith and Lance kissing the minute their new duet had ended] _

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed!! 
> 
> Post story headcanons (that are canon bc I’m the author):  
> -after their little stunt at the first concert, Keith ends up officially touring with Lance as his opening act  
>  -it becomes one of the most sought after tours in the last five years  
> -Lance’s album sales are through the roof, breaking a ton of records, but it’s mostly due to the fact that they had a special edition released with Keith and Lance’s duet on it, both studio and concert versions  
> -Keith’s popularity without a doubt skyrocketed because he’s now openly dating Lance, but he honestly doesn’t care. He has so much fun meeting new fans.  
> -Keith proposes to Lance privately 4-5 months after the tour ends (he bought the ring at one of their stops on the tour). There are a lot of happy tears involved on both sides. But they decide not to announce it for a couple weeks to see if any of their fans can catch on to it--ie the ring on Lance’s finger  
>  -@truelancefan is the first one to spot it
> 
> Please leave comments and kudos:)


End file.
